Buckle



(N0 Modei.)

T. J. CLARK.

BUCKLE.

No. 480,397. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

' W Q iriverzfir UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. CLARK, OF GILA, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,397, dated August9, 1892.

Application filed April 29, 1892. Serial NoAQLl LO- (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. CLARK, av citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Gila, in the county of Grant and Territory of NewMexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a buckle capable of a widerange of use and adapted to be detachably connected with the part to beheld without the use of rivets or stitches and without requiring anyspecial form of strap or construction of the end thereof. It is mypurpose, also, to provide a buckle in which the strain will beequalized, thus adding to the durability of the parts, and to providefor fitting the buckle to the stiff parts of the harness withoutrequiring much effort. The buckle is in double form, and is intended todetachably connect with both ends of the strap, either end beingutilized as the permanent fastening to the buckle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section withthe strap in place. Fig. 2 is a plan view.

The buckle consists of two side pieces 1, the ends of which are curvedin opposite directions and connected by cross-bars 2, preferablyre'ctangularin cross-section. Other bars 3 ofsubstantially similar formextend between the side bars at points intermediate of the end bars,there being thus two upper and two lower bars in the same plane with achannel between them to receive the ends of the strap, which when passedthrough extend on opposite sides of a central cross-bar 1. The tonguesor hooks 5 of the buckle are pivoted to the cross-bars 3, and thusextend from their pivotal points at the outer edges of the side barsinwardly toward each other, their ends resting upon opposite sides ofthe central crossbar. It will be noticed that the ends of the strap arepassed through the buckle from opposite ends thereof, and either end maybe used as the permanent attachment to the buckle, the other end beingunfastened when it is desired to loosen the strap, it being, however,obvious that the permanent end is also equally detachable and may beutilized in this way, if desired. The ends pass upon op- U posite sidesof the central cross-bar, and the strain exerted through them inopposite directions pulls the tongues toward each other and thus uponthe central cross-bar, the strain of the tongue upon one side of saidbar being neutralized by that exerted upon the other side. It will beobserved, also, that by reason of the reversed-curve form of the sidebars and the arrangement of the cross-bars the ends of the strap canreadily be passed through the buckle and directed on opposite sides ofthe cross-bar to be engaged by the tongue. Any number of tongues may beused and the buckle made sufficiently wide to receive any desired sizeof strap or other part to beheld. In many instances it will be founddesirable to use a buckle of flexible character, particularly in heavyharness, and I therefore form each side bar in two sections and pivotthem together at their meeting ends 6 upon the central cross-bar, whichthus answers the twofold purpose of a pivotal connection for the sidebars and a straining bar or rest for the tongues.

I claim as my invention- In a buckle, the combination of the side barsconnected at their ends by cross-bars 2, the intermediate cross-barshaving pivoted thereto the inwardly-extending tongues, and the centralcross-barintermediate of the free ends of the tongues, the said sidebars being formed in sections and hinged to the central cross-bar,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. CLARK.

Witnesses:

WM. H. KANE, O. BAILEY.

